Pros & Cons of Vinyl Flooring in Bathrooms (Is It Right for You?)

Are you looking for the best quality vinyl flooring in Brampton?

Please add this sentence before “vinyl flooring has come a long way”

Vinyl flooring has come a long way since first becoming popular post-WWII due to its low cost, resilience and water-resistant properties. Now it’s available in a wide range of colours, designs and finishes to match any home decor.

In spite of its beauty, versatility and water resistance, vinyl does have its downsides, especially if used in your bathroom.

Consider both its pros and cons when deciding if vinyl flooring is right for your home.

This post discusses what vinyl flooring is, along with its advantages and drawbacks. In this way you can make an informed decision as to whether you should consider it for your bathroom.

What Is Vinyl Flooring? Is It Good for Your Bathroom?

Your bathroom is one of the most active areas in your house, so it sees a lot of foot traffic. That’s why you should be careful when choosing flooring for it.

Many of our customers ask, “Should we install vinyl flooring in our bathroom? What are the pros and cons?”

To answer those questions, first you have to understand what vinyl flooring is.

What Is Vinyl Flooring?

Vinyl flooring is an ideal solution for homeowners when it comes to bathroom flooring, thanks to its aesthetics and durability.

Vinyl flooring looks similar to linoleum. It is made up of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) along with a mixture of a few other synthetic compounds to provide the appropriate hardness while remaining flexible. The urethane-based top coat is stain and water-resistant, which makes it perfect for bathrooms and kitchen floors.

Thanks to consistent improvements in its design, vinyl flooring has become an appealing and budget-friendly flooring option. Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is an improved version of modular vinyl flooring. Unlike traditional vinyl flooring, in this case single sheets are used and tiles are laid out individually. It’s often designed to look like real wood or stone but has more practical benefits than natural materials. Since it is a thick product, luxury vinyl feels even softer underfoot and has better sound-blocking properties than standard vinyl. This is especially true in the case of luxury vinyl with cork or foam underlayment layers built into the product.

Due to the impressive collection of sizes, styles, and designs available, vinyl flooring options can look seamlessly cohesive in all interior design styles.

Vinyl Flooring for Bathrooms – Pros and Cons

Since your bathroom is exposed to so much moisture and abuse daily, you need to choose a flooring material that’s both water-resistant and durable. Is vinyl the right flooring choice for you? Keep reading and decide for yourself.

The Pros of Vinyl Flooring

• It’s Water-Resistant

Probably the biggest benefit of vinyl flooring is its water resistance. It’s made with waterproof materials like PVC and has a nonporous surface, making it a great flooring option for water-prone areas like bathrooms, kitchens, basements and laundry rooms.

In addition, it can easily handle the steam, moisture, and humidity common to bathrooms, which may otherwise cause mould in a damp environment. So, you can shower without having to worry about the floor being damaged since it resists water damage.

• It’s Available In Realistic Visuals

From wood, marble and stone to tiles and concrete, your vinyl plank floors can take on a variety of appearances. If you love expensive flooring material but have a tight budget, vinyl allows you to replicate the look at a much lower cost.

• It Resists Stains

Printed vinyl sheets and tiles have a clear top layer that works as a barrier to protect your floor from spills and stains, making it easy to clean and maintain. However, solid and composite vinyl tiles don’t have this top protective layer and are thus exposed to stains, requiring occasional stripping and polishing.

• Ease of Installation

Advances in flooring technology have made vinyl floors more DIY-friendly. While they were once only available in huge, bulky sheets, today’s planks and tiles can be installed without hammers or saws.

Most top flooring brands offer peel-and-stick vinyl planks; just remove the protective backing and press them into place. For luxury vinyl tiles and planks, simply fit them into place one after the other, using a click-lock edge linking feature. These usually float over the underlayment, without any glue-down bond.

• It Requires Little Maintenance

Vinyl floors are relatively easy to care for. All you need to do is sweep away grit and dirt and give it a dry mop.

Avoid detergents, waxes, abrasive scrubs, scouring pads, solvents and ammonia as they can dull and damage the surface. Use only approved vinyl floor cleaners to remove stains.

You can also make a homemade cleaning solution from one cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water. Consider adding a few drops of mineral oil for extra shine.

• It’s Comfortable

Vinyl floors have a soft, cushioned feel that’s good for feet and joints. They also create an insulating layer that keeps floors warm in winter. This is highly beneficial for your bathroom because the flooring tends to remain wet and cold due to constant exposure to water.

The Cons of Vinyl Flooring

• It’s Susceptible to Damage

Although vinyl plank floors are durable, they’re softer than hardwood, tile and natural stone, and can be easily damaged with sharp objects like a screw or knife. Even sliding a metal chair on vinyl flooring can scratch or dent it.

Furthermore, the top coating of vinyl flooring is not UV resistant; that is why it can start showing signs of discolouration after being in use for some time. So, if you plan to put vinyl flooring in a bathroom that receives a lot of sunlight, find a way to control the amount of light to limit the damage.

• It’s Difficult to Repair

In case of severe damages like deep scratches or multiple dents, you can either replace the floor or remove the affected area and restore it with a patch. This patch will have seams and may not blend well with the rest of the floor. Cutting the patch to match the existing pattern lines could be helpful, but it’s difficult enough that it requires a skilled flooring craftsman.

As with any type of flooring, vinyl isn’t perfect. While it’s water-resistant and comfortable, it’s also difficult to repair. Weigh its benefits against its limitations to determine if vinyl flooring is the right choice for your bathroom.

• It Is Difficult to Remove

Another drawback is that vinyl flooring can be difficult to remove when glued to the subfloor. Rather, you should use the loose-lay or click-lock method.

As with any type of flooring, vinyl is not perfect. It is difficult to remove and repair, but has its advantages, like being water and stain-resistant, resilient, comfortable and beautiful. So, consider installing vinyl flooring in your bathroom. For expert advice, contact Amazon Hardwood.